Not participating in the A-Z Challenge

Sorry lovely readers, but I won't be participating in the Blogging from A-Z Challenge this month. I have other things on my mind. Not bad things! Just...other things. When I was tossing and turning at 3:00 in the morning last night, feeling stressed out about daily blogging for the next month, I realized that it was silly of me to feel stressed about something that's supposed to be fun.

I will try to post a few times during April! But definitely not 26 times.

An Update of Sorts

Isn't it funny how some people can make the complicated stuff seem so simple?

Clay Baboons is on a short hiatus while I concentrate on writing. And making animals out of clay.

Come back on April 1st for the A-Z Challenge and the first of 26 nearly-consecutive posts:

A is for Aardwolf

(and 25 Other Animals That Are Probably Plotting Your Doom Right Now)

 

 

Happy Spring, my friends! It's coming - I can feel it!

Now if it would just stop snowing...



It's snowing. Again.

The first snow of the year is beautiful. The world is blanketed in clean, calm white and everything seems more hushed, somehow. 

 

Then, about three days later, the wonder's gone and I'm left with exhaustion and seething resentment at the heavy white stuff that won't stop piling up on my driveway.  

   
Doesn't the snow know that I already hate getting up early in the morning, and setting the alarm extra early so that I can shovel my car out before work is physically painful?


It's not so bad at first. At first, I'm full of energy.  The snow isn't that heavy and the wind isn't that cold. I can do this!


The world loses its shiny happy lustre pretty quickly, though. My fulcrum arm (Confession: I've been waiting for a long time to be able to write "my fulcrum arm". I think it makes me sound like a cyborg.) and my back ache from the strain. My exposed skin is icy cold, while a sheen of sweat covers my body under my multiple layers.   

 

There's just so much stinking snow!

 

At least I'll be able to make some hot tea when I'm done. Of course, I'll have to go to the bathroom to fill the kettle. Why, you ask? Because the water pipes to the kitchen are frozen, of course! Three space heaters have been running for two days, and still not a drop of water falls from the kitchen faucet.

 

No need to panic, right? Just turn off the water to the house until the blockage thaws, just in case the pipes are damaged. No big deal.

 

Except that until yesterday I had no idea how to do that.

 

When I left for work on the first morning after the pipes froze, I imagined water gushing from burst pipes like a geyser behind the drywall, pooling in the basement. The imaginary water soaked the electrical stuff in the wall (whatever that “stuff” may be) and caused a fire while I was at work. And then the imaginary fire killed my dog, who died an excruciating death, certain until the very end that I would come open the door for him. And JP (who's been in a hot place for three weeks, far away from snow and ice and cold and shovels and frozen pipes) blamed me for the dog’s imaginary death and couldn’t forgive me and we got divorced. After my imaginary divorce, I had to move, and then I couldn’t find a job, so I moved back into my parents’ house and spent the rest of my imaginary life curled up in the dark apologizing to the dog and feeling sorry for myself.

 

All because I didn’t know how to shut off the water to the house.

 

And because it's winter and it's cold and won't stop stinking snowing. 

I know how to turn the water off now.  I practiced last night.  That doesn't make the shoveling any easier.  And I'm still kind of mad at imaginary JP for imaginary divorcing me.

A few more heavy shovelfuls.  I'm almost done.

Victory! 

 

I am the overlord of snow!  This snow is mine!  It bows down before my shovel of doom!

     

Now back inside to take a shower and get ready for work.  I'm running a bit late, but my boss already texted me this morning about the road conditions.  She'll understand if I get there a bit later than usual.  The hot water feels so good against my cold, clammy skin.  At least the pipes to the bathroom aren't frozen.

 

I get dressed, grab some breakfast, throw my coat back on and rush out to my car.

   

 

I hate winter. 

 

Can it be over soon? 

 

Please?

 

* * * *

I'm linking up with the fine writers at Yeah Write:

Creative Commons Licensing

First things first: I apologize in advance for how painfully boring this post is. You have my permission to throw blunt objects and/or mid-sized rodents. I will have a new illustrated post up tomorrow (or Thursday at the latest), so please don't unfollow based solely on the snoozefest that is this post.

So let's talk about creative commons.

Over the past few weeks, I've had several people contact me with questions about sharing, using or altering my work. I've also had someone suggest that I should watermark my pictures by adding my blog address to each of them.

The second will definitely not happen, but as for the first? Yes! Please! Share, use, print, alter, repost, tweak, play. I made it for you. It's yours. I've officially licensed all of my work - text and image - through Creative Commons. If you look at the bottom of my blog, you'll see this image:



If you want to read it (in human-friendly words, no less!), click here. But the gist of it is that you're free to reuse, repost or remix anything that I've posted here, with a few limitations:

• You have to attribute the original work to me with a link to www.claybaboons.com (ie. don't pretend that you made the stuff that I originally made. That's just lame.)
  
• You can not use any of my images or text for commercial use (ie. you can't make any money off of my stuff, since I'm not making any money off of my stuff. Sounds fair, right?)
  
• If you alter any of my images, you have to attribute the original to me and license your derivative work using the same license that I have on the original work (ie. other people will be allowed to reuse, repost or change the stuff that you made using my stuff.)
• I retain the "moral rights" to my work (ie. don't turn it into anything hateful, racist, homophobic or pornographic. That's just not cool.)

You're under no obligations to tell me how or when you use my work, although I'd love it if you'd let me know!

So why am I doing this?

Quite simply, I want to share my work. This blog is not a for-profit site. I make stuff because it's fun. I post it because I want people to read it. The more people share my work, the more opportunities there will be for new eyes to see it (and - dare I hope - enjoy it). I love the openness and collaboration* inherent** in Creative Commons. And I honestly believe that anyone unethical enough to steal or otherwise abuse other people's work will do so whether or not it is "allowed".

*I always have to spellcheck that word
**again with the spellcheck

So go on! Be the first to take one of my pictures and make it your own! I'd love to see what you do!

Want more information? Here's a cheerful stop-motion animation video by Creative Commons Aoteoroa NZ - complete with cool kiwi accent - illustrating how Creative Commons licensing works: